Rule-based decision habits in anorexia nervosa
Official title: Rule-Based Decision-Making: A Novel Neuroeconomic Mechanism of Anorexia Nervosa Competitive Revision
Funded at Virginia Commonwealth University · NIH-11298598 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether rigid, rule-based decision habits keep people with anorexia nervosa stuck in harmful eating and behavior patterns.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia Commonwealth University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richmond, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $449,842 |
| NIH project number | 3R01MH126978-04S1A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11298598 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (including those with rigid or obsessive personality traits) who can attend in-person visits and complete computer tasks and brain imaging.
✕Less likely to help
People without anorexia nervosa, those who are medically unstable, or those unable to undergo MRI or computerized testing may not directly benefit from participating.
What this research studies
You would complete computer-based decision tasks (including the Web-Surf task) that measure how you make choices, and some visits may include brain imaging while you make decisions. Researchers will compare people with anorexia nervosa to people with obsessive-compulsive personality traits, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and healthy volunteers to see how decision styles differ. They will use computational decision models and brain network measures to link specific choice patterns to brain circuits. The goal is to identify the particular decision processes that help maintain rigid behaviors so future treatments can target them.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to tailor treatments that reduce rigid decision habits and help people recover from anorexia nervosa.
How similar studies have gone: Small pilot studies using the Web-Surf decision task have shown distinct decision patterns in related conditions, but applying neuroeconomic decision models to anorexia nervosa is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Haynos, Ann Frances — Virginia Commonwealth University
- Study coordinator: Haynos, Ann Frances
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Rule-Based Decision-Making in Anorexia Nervosa
Researchers are studying how people with anorexia nervosa make decisions to understand why weight loss becomes a rigid pattern, with the aim of guiding better treatments.
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Understanding decision-making in anorexia nervosa
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Understanding decision-making in anorexia nervosa using brain imaging techniques
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NoviGuide for Newborn Care in Pakistan
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.